KS3 Lab Book

Key Stage 3 Science Lab Book Get ready for AQA GCSE (9–1)

Ed Walsh

How to use this book Practical work is a really important part of science. There are three good reasons why doing experiments is part of your science education.  



The first is that it’s a good way of learning how to use equipment. Using a microscope, being able to weigh accurately and knowing how to set up a circuit are just a few of the skills you should develop whilst studying science.

Second, it’s important that you know how to investigate scientifically. Using evidence to write a conclusion, for example, is an important skill. Seeing if a new design of car meets safety standards for example or analysing archaeological remains to suggest how an ancient civilisation lived are only possible if this has been mastered.

Third, it can be a good way of understanding ideas. Students often say that if they can see something happening it’s a good way of understanding it.

This book includes a number of features that we think will be helpful. Some you may find more useful than others. The important thing is that you have a go. Scientists don’t always get it right and experiments don’t always work. That doesn’t mean that nothing has been learned. 

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    

Mini vocabulary warm up. Science has its own language and you need to be familiar with the words relevant to the investigation you are going to do. The words are important because they are rather like handles – they enable you to get hold of concepts. Some of these questions involve selecting the right word, some are true/false statements and some involve a group of students who you will keep meeting in different experiments. They have their own ideas and it’s quite possible that you will agree with some of the things they say.

Details of the practical activity. This includes the purpose of the experiment, how to set it up, the method you should follow and space to enter your results. We’ve suggested suitable equipment, identified some mistakes to avoid and also made some important points about safety. We not only want you to avoid accidents but also to learn how to make decisions about safe working.

Analyse results. Having done the experiment, you need to make sense of what you’ve found out. Think of this as the ‘so what?’ stage – you’ve got the evidence and you now need to suggest what that shows. Be clear about what you’ve learned by doing the experiment.

Check your understanding. By this stage you’ll have done quite a lot since the start of the experiment so it’s probably a good idea to revisit some of the key ideas.

Spot the mistake. This is where you’ll meet our friendly students again. As you’ll see, they don’t always get things right. An important skill is being able to suggest why.

Apply your understanding. It’s important to understand that often when you do an experiment the ideas can be applied to other situations as well. The questions in this section are to help you make those links.

Evaluate your learning. Having done the experiment and answered some questions, you’ll probably have quite a good idea of how well you did. Having a sense of what you did well and what you might focus on the next time you do an experiment is a key part of being a scientist.

You’ll be aware that some time later in your education you’ll be thinking about GCSE qualifications.

That’s in the future and will seem quite a long way off yet. Practical work is also an important part of GCSE Science courses though, and if you do these experiments and answer some of the questions it will make doing those experiments less of a big change.

Above all, don’t worry. Do the experiments, have a go at the questions and see what you can learn.

Remember, the scientific ideas we have came from people doing experiments and finding things out.

Teachers should always ensure they consult the latest CLEAPSS safety guidance before undertaking any practical work.

Introduction

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Contents Introduction

4

Biology

5

Biology 1

Studying cells

5

Biology 2

Examining stomata

9

Biology 3

Testing foodstuffs

14

Biology 4

Investigating the role of light in photosynthesis

19

Biology 5

Variation in seedlings

24

Biology 6

Fieldwork investigation

29

Chemistry

33

Chemistry 1

Making crystals

33

Chemistry 2

Competition for oxygen

38

Chemistry 3

Investigating reactions

43

Chemistry 4

Investigating catalysts

48

Chemistry 5

Purifying rock salt

53

Chemistry 6

Testing substances with universal indicator

57

Physics

62

Physics 1

Keeping hot food hot

62

Physics 2

Investigating the relationship between voltage and current

67

Physics 3

Exploring density

71

Physics 4

Investigating moments

76

Physics 5

Calculating speed

81

Physics 6

Investigating waves

86

Glossary

91

Schools can download mapping to GCSE (9–1), answers and record sheets at www.collins.co.uk.

Physics 3 Exploring

density

Mini vocabulary warm up Look at these words: mass

volume

weight

density

Which of these words

force

upthrust

(Note: each word may be used more than once.)

1. is the amount of space an object takes up? ……………........................................................ [1 mark] 2. is the force pulling an object towards the centre of the Earth? ............................................. [1 mark] 3. is the force on an object immersed in water caused by the water pushing up on it? .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 4. is the quantity found by dividing the mass of an object by the volume it occupies? .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 5. is the quantity that can be measured in grams per cubic centimetre (g/cm3)? .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 6. must be equal and opposite if an object is floating (give two words)? .............................................................................................................................................[2 marks] 7. are measured in newtons, N (give three words)? .............................................................................................................................................[3 marks] 8. There are different ways of finding out the volume of a solid object. If the object has a regular shape, a formula can be used to find its volume. For example, the volume of a cuboid is found by multiplying the length by the breadth by the height. a. What is the volume of a piece of wood 2 cm long, 3 cm wide and 3 cm tall?.……….. [2 marks] b. What is the volume of a shoe box 20 cm tall, 30 cm wide and 40 cm long?................ [2 marks] Each of the following statements is either true or false – choose the correct response.

9. A ship is floating in the sea. a. The ship is floating so it has no weight. True / False

[1 mark]

b. The upthrust must be greater than the ship’s weight for it to float. True / False

[1 mark]

c. For the ship to float the upthrust must be equal to its weight. True / False

[1 mark]

10. In an experiment, various solid objects are placed into water. Some float and some sink. a. A stone sinks when placed in water because there is no upthrust on it. True / False

[1 mark]

b. A piece of softwood floats in water because it is weightless in water. True / False

[1 mark]

c. The stone is denser than the piece of softwood. True / False

[1 mark]

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Purpose of practical activity Density is an important concept − it is a measurement that compares the amount of mass that an object has to its volume. This means that we can compare different materials in terms of how dense they are. Density indicates whether a solid will float or sink. To find the density of a material we need to know its mass and its volume. This experiment will enable you to see how this is done and relate it to whether the material floats or sinks.

Learning outcomes

Maths skills required

 To understand how the volumes of regular and irregular objects can be determined.

 Take and record readings.

 To calculate density and relate this to whether a material floats or sinks in water.  To understand how density can explain buoyancy.

Formulae

 Perform mathematical operations, including multiplication and division.

density =

mass volume

 Analyse data, spotting trends and patterns.  Finding volumes of cuboids.

Set up Apparatus list  Various solid objects made of different materials; some should float in water and some should not. There should also be a variety of regular and irregular shapes.

 Rulers

 Electronic balances

 Displacement cans or beakers and measuring cylinders

 Cotton thread or string or fishing line

Safety notes  Do not handle any mains electric sockets, switches or plugs with wet hands.  Wipe up any water spilt on the floor to avoid slipping and falling.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them  Remember that density is calculated from mass divided by volume – not the other way around.  When lowering an irregular object into water to find its volume, take care to capture every drop of water that overflows.  We are working with values of density in g/cm3, so the mass has to be in grams and the volume in cm3.

Method Read these instructions carefully before you start work.

1.

Sort out the objects you are going to be using in your investigation. Separate them into regular and irregular objects. Make sure you have at least one of each.

2.

For each object, use the balance to determine its mass and record this in the table.

3.

If the object has a regular shape, use the correct formula to find the volume. For example, if it is a cuboid, volume will be length times width times height. Record this data in the table.

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4.

If the object has an irregular shape, use the displacement method to find the volume. Fill a beaker with water so it is absolutely full (if you have a displacement can, then use this). Tie the object on a cotton thread, string or line and carefully lower it into the water until it is completely immersed, catching all of the water that overflows. Measure the volume of the water that has overflowed − this will be the same as the volume of the object. Record this data in the table.

5.

For each object, divide the mass by the volume to find the density and record this in the table.

6.

Now find out if each object floats or sinks in water and record this in the table.

Results Object

Mass (g)

Dimensions (note: only use these columns for regular objects) Length (cm)

Width (cm)

Volume (cm3)

Density (g/cm3)

Float or sink?

Height (cm)

Analyse results 1. Look at the results table. How does the density of each object relate to whether it floats or sinks?

Write a sentence to explain how these factors are related. .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 2. Liquids and gases also have density. Suggest how, using the formula density = mass / volume, you could determine the density of water. ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[3 marks] 3. Find the density of water using your method from Question 2 and record this in your table.

Compare this with the results for each object. What do you find? ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[2 marks] 4. Look at the results table for Question 1. What are the possible sources of error in this experiment? ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[2 marks]

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Check your understanding 1. Paraffin wax has a density of 0.72 g/cm3. Explain why a lump of wax floats in water. .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 2. Concrete has a density of 2.37 g/cm3. Does it float or sink in water? Explain why. .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 3. An ice cube floats in water but most of the mass is under the surface. What does this suggest about the density of ice? .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 4. Objects that float have mass. If they float, what does this show about the upthrust of the water compared with their weight? .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark]

Spot the mistake 1. Emile is finding the density of a piece of oak. The mass is 14 g and the volume is 20 cm3. His answer is 1.43 g/cm3. What mistake has he made? .............................................................................................................................................. [1 mark] 2. Michelle is trying to find the volume of an irregular piece of cork. She fills a beaker full of water and lowers the cork carefully onto the top of the water, where it floats. She catches the water that overflows and measures its volume as 4 cm3. What mistake has she made? ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[2 marks] 3. Kareem is investigating density in an experiment. In his conclusion, he writes, Any solid with a density of less than 1 g/cm3 will float in any liquid. What mistake has he made? ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[2 marks]

Apply your understanding 1. Thousands of years ago, a Greek called Archimedes had a problem to solve. The King suspected that a crown was not pure gold. Archimedes knew that every metal has a different density. If he found the density of the crown, he would know whether it was pure gold. To find the density he needed to know the volume, but a crown is a complicated shape. The story goes that, after getting in a bath, he realised how to find the density of the crown. Suggest how he did it. ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[3 marks]

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2. Gina’s group are trying to explain why boats made out of steel float. They tested steel in their experiment and found that it sank.

Gina: It’s to do with size.

You wouldn’t make a small boat out of steel but if it’s bigger it’s more buoyant.

Juanita: It’s a different kind of steel they use to make boats.

The piece we had was rectangular and solid so of course it wouldn’t float.

Will: A steel boat isn’t solid – it’s hollow so most of it is air. That’s why it floats.

Who do you think is correct and why? ........................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................[2 marks] 3. Kareem’s class is investigating forces and floating, as shown in the diagram. The block is made of iron. The forcemeter is showing a reading of 3.5 N and the balance is showing a reading of 320 g (equivalent to a force of 3.2 N). a. Why is the forcemeter showing a reading? …………………………………………….………………

[1 mark]

b. Why is the balance showing a reading? …………………………………………………………….

[1 mark]

The block is now lowered into the water so that it is half submerged.

For each question, circle the correct response c. Will the reading on the forcemeter have increased / decreased / stayed the same?

[1 mark]

d. Will the reading on the balance have increased / decreased / stayed the same?

[1 mark]

Next, the block is completely submerged. e. Will the reading on the forcemeter have increased / decreased / stayed the same?

[1 mark]

f. Will the reading on the balance have increased / decreased / stayed the same?

[1 mark]

Evaluate your learning 1. To complete this experiment you followed a sequence of steps. How did you do this successfully? ...........................................................................................................................................................

2. You also compared the densities of different materials with that of water to draw a conclusion.

How did you make a good job of this? ........................................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................................

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